This invention relates to packaging a plurality of containers and more particularly to a package that can be separated into a plurality of sub-packages. Even more particularly the invention relates to a one-piece wrapper made into a package for holding containers which can be easily separated into smaller sub-packages upon delivery to the retailer, lowering the cost of manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, storage and delivery of containers.
Several different multi-unit packaging systems have been developed for the marketing of a number of packaged products, for example, bottled and canned beverages and other liquid products. Currently, most bottle or can containers are shipped in units of six, generally referred to as the six-pack package. Four six-packs are normally placed together in a paper tray for shipment from the manufacturer to the retail outlet. At present the six beverage containers in a six-pack are typically held together by a piece of plastic having six circular apertures or by a simple wrap-around paperboard package such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,593 issued Jan. 28, 1986 to Muller. When a paper tray of six-packs arrives at the retail outlet, the paper tray must be discarded if the containers are to be sold as six-packs. If the retailer would prefer to have two six-packs packaged together as a twelve-pack unit, the manufacturer must establish a different manufacturing line to produce twelve-packs, and twenty four-packs, and all manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, storage and delivery between the manufacturer and the retailer must store the six-packs, twelve-packs, and twenty four-packs separately.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,378, issued Sep. 18, 1973 to Werth, attempts to alleviate this problem by providing a container that will hold four six-packs. The container is comprised of a wrapper which wraps around all four six-packs, and has a tear-strip which allows the wrapper to be separated into two twelve-packs. A primary disadvantage of this type of package is that the tear-strip completely surrounds the entire carton, and therefore, the carton must be turned a full 360 degrees in order to remove the tear-strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,631 issued Mar. 9, 1976 to Sutherland, et al, also addresses the problem of separating sub-packages after they arrive at the retailer. This invention, however, primarily addresses changing the outer carton which contains the six-packs into a display case.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,082 issued Nov. 15, 1983 to Martin, partially addresses the problem of shipping multi-unit cartons, each of which contains a liquid. A tear-strip is provided to separate the cartons and the outer wrapper is then used as a handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,777 issued Aug. 14, 1956 to Dixon, partially address the problem of shipping multi-unit packages. Dixon, however, uses nearly double the quantity of material to form the packages as conventional packaging and this excess material, as well as being costly, significantly complicates the forming machinery necessary to assemble the packages at high speeds. The Dixon package requires a band to hold the packages together, since without the band, the bottom of the packages would separate. Thus the band serves the same function as the tray used with most conventional packages, and has the same cost and disposal problems. Also, once the band is removed, the package can only be separated into four six-packs and cannot be separated into twelve packs.
European Patent Application 0,029,365 Filed Nov. 14, 1980 addresses the problem of holding the sub-packages in a package by forming apertures in the top of the package, but does not address the problem of multi-unit shipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,269 issued Apr. 24, 1990 to Wright et al. address multi-unit packages wherein the sub-packages are oriented side by side, but fails to provide any handle for carrying either the multi-unit package or the sub-packages after separation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,249,738 issued Oct. 5, 1993 to Werth, and 5,299,733 issued Apr. 5, 1994 to Werth, each address the problem of multi -unit packages containing four sub-packages that can be separated after shipment, wherein the packages are arranged side by side, and have no handles.
Many of the packages described above require disposal of one or more tear strips after the packages are separated.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,234,102 issued Aug. 10, 1993 to Schuster et al. and 5,246,113 issued Sep. 21, 1993 to Schuster each disclose a package having two layers of containers, however, neither of these packages is separable into two sub-packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,378 issued Jul. 28, 1964 to B. H. Lengsfield, Jr. entitled "Separable Carton", and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,228 issued Sep. 19, 1972 to Spiegel entitled "Unit Dose Device" both address side by side packages that are separable, however, in both these devices, the perforations for separating the packages extend the entire way around the package. Having such a large amount of perforation makes the packages difficult to separate, particularly if the packages contain lighter products, such as, for example, bars of soap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,660 issued Mar. 30, 1993 to Colling, entitled "Twin Package Carton", provides two side by side separable containers wherein glue flaps are separably attached to two top flaps. This container, however, is connected only at the top, and does not form a rigid package, and is difficult to pick up from the bottom.
None of the above described inventions allows two sub-packages to be shipped as a multi-unit package wherein after separation each sub-package has a carrying handle. If the package has the sub-packages stacked on top of each other, it is very inconvenient if one of the sub-packages must be re-oriented after separation, in order for its handle to be on the top, so that it can easily be picked up by a consumer.
There is need in the art then for a versatile package which is manufactured as a one-piece wrapper that holds a plurality of containers together as a single unit, and later can be separated by the retailer into two sub-packages, wherein the sub-packages are stacked one on top of the other. There is further need in the art for a package wherein the wrapper that surrounds the package is the same wrapper surrounding the sub-packages, eliminating the need for any additional wrappers. A still further need in the art is for such a wrapper having stacked sub-packages wherein, when separated, each sub-package has a handle located on a top surface.